Written Answers Monday 10 October 2005

Scottish Executive

Business Rates

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider extending the powers of local authorities to penalise owners of town centre premises who carry out alterations that cause the property to be unsuitable for use and therefore assessed as zero rated for business rates.

Mr Tom McCabe: We have no plans to do so. Local authorities already have a wide range of powers which they can use in this regard, as set out in the answer to question S2W-8788 answered on 17 June 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Clydesdale Bank Branch Closures

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to investigate the impact on rural communities of the latest round of branch closures announced by the Clydesdale Bank and what its response is to the announcement.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive takes the well being of rural communities very seriously and our Partnership Agreement outlines a commitment to protect and develop rural services through community planning. Key facts are documented by the Environment and Rural Affairs Dept in order to improve the evidence base on rural Scotland and help us move towards our vision of a rural Scotland where everyone matters. We also recognise the need for rural financial inclusion and are co-funding and advising on a research project on "Financial Inclusion and Capability: Deliberation and Diversity in Rural Scotland" conducted by the Scottish Council Foundation. This project aims to explore the experiences of access to financial products and services and the management of personal finances of communities in three rural case studies. It will also make policy and practice recommendations to increase and improve financial inclusion and capability in rural areas.

  The Executive has been, and continues to be, in close contact with the Clydesdale Bank and discussion has focussed on ways of alleviating any problems for individuals or business customers resulting from branch closures. I refer the member to the question S2W-18548 answered on 14 September 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Employment

Campbell Martin (West of Scotland) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time jobs have been (i) created and (ii) lost in North Ayrshire in each year since 1999 and how these figures compare with other areas of Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: Statistics on the number of jobs created are not centrally held. However the number of employee jobs in each local authority is available from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI). Table 1 shows the level of full-time employee jobs for each local authority area from 1999-2003 and Table 2 shows the level of part-time employee jobs for each local authority area from 1999-2003. Tables 3 and 4 show the change in the number of employee jobs for each year for full-time and part-time jobs respectively.

  Table 1 Number of Full-time Employee Jobs by Local Authority Areas 1999-20031,2,3

  

 
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003


 Aberdeen City
 119,500
 119,700
 124,100
 117,800
 114,600


 Aberdeenshire
 52,900
 55,100
 57,400
 51,800
 52,200


 Angus
 27,500
 25,600
 23,300
 22,300
 22,600


 Argyll and Bute
 21,300
 23,600
 22,700
 21,500
 23,700*


 Clackmannanshire
 8,900*
 9,700*
 9,600
 8,900*
 9,000*


 Dumfries and Galloway
 38,800
 37,100
 39,800
 35,800
 34,800


 Dundee City
 44,200*
 49,500*
 48,200
 46,400
 48,700


 East Ayrshire
 26,200
 25,200
 26,300
 26,300
 28,200


 East Dunbartonshire
 16,300
 17,700*
 17,800
 15,900*
 16,000*


 East Lothian
 16,000
 15,500
 15,800
 16,600
 16,400


 East Renfrewshire
 10,100
 10,900
 11,200
 11,200
 11,200*


 Edinburgh, City of
 190,400
 200,200
 207,700
 213,900
 213,900


 Eilean Siar
 7,000
 6,300
 6,300
 5,600
 7,000


 Falkirk
 37,800
 38,000
 39,600
 39,000
 40,300


 Fife
 89,400
 90,900
 92,700
 89,900
 88,300


 Glasgow City
 255,400*
 266,300*
 279,300*
 267,600*
 274,200*


 Highland
 50,500
 52,000
 59,900
 59,800
 61,500*


 Inverclyde
 23,200*
 22,300*
 23,300*
 21,600*
 21,500


 Midlothian
 15,800
 15,600
 16,000
 16,200
 17,000


 Moray
 19,900
 20,300
 20,600
 20,500
 21,100


 North Ayrshire
 28,100
 28,700
 30,400
 28,200
 27,500


 North Lanarkshire
 84,800
 78,800
 81,800
 85,400
 83,000


 Orkney Islands
 5,400
 5,000
 5,000
 4,300
 4,800


 Perthshire and Kinross
 40,200
 38,900
 36,800
 37,000
 36,500


 Renfrewshire
 61,500
 59,600
 57,900
 52,400
 52,200


 Scottish Borders
 28,500
 26,400
 26,600
 27,200
 25,900


 Shetland Islands
 7,500
 6,600
 6,500
 6,700
 7,300


 South Ayrshire
 30,400
 29,900
 30,200
 29,800
 28,600


 South Lanarkshire
 79,400
 80,800
 81,500
 77,100
 77,300


 Stirling
 26,900
 26,900
 28,500
 27,400
 25,300


 West Dunbartonshire
 19,300
 19,000
 18,700
 18,700
 19,000


 West Lothian
 46,300
 49,500
 49,700
 50,200
 51,900



  Source: Annual Business Inquiry.

  Notes:

  * These data exclude agriculture class 0100 (SIC 92) – Agriculture, hunting and related service activities.

  1. The 2003 ABI data for aggregate areas is based on 2003 Census Area Statistics (CAS) wards which differs from previous years ABI data which was build from 1991 census wards. This change in geographies may give rise to discontinuity, however at local authority level discontinuities are negligible.

  2. Annual Business Inquiry data are workplace based.

  3. Data has been rounded to the nearest hundred.

  Table 2 Number of Part-time Employee Jobs by Local Authority Areas 1999-20031,2,3

  

 
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003


 Aberdeen City
 44,200
 47,800
 41,200
 42,900
 47,200


 Aberdeenshire
 21,400
 25,000
 24,500
 26,200
 29,500


 Angus
 11,400
 12,400
 12,700
 13,300
 13,600


 Argyll and Bute
 10,700
 11,900
 12,200
 12,400
 11,900


 Clackmannanshire
 3,700*
 4,500*
 4,500*
 4,400*
 4,100


 Dumfries and Galloway
 19,500
 19,800
 22,200
 19,900
 19,500


 Dundee City
 18,700*
 21,500*
 24,200
 24,600
 24,500


 East Ayrshire
 11,200
 12,400
 12,400
 12,500
 13,300


 East Dunbartonshire
 8,700
 8,200*
 9,800*
 9,200*
 8,500


 East Lothian
 8,000
 9,700
 9,100
 9,200
 8,700


 East Renfrewshire
 5,000
 5,800
 6,100
 6,500
 6,500


 Edinburgh, City of
 80,000
 91,800
 89,800
 95,000
 97,700*


 Eilean Siar
 3,900
 4,700
 4,600
 3,900
 5,100


 Falkirk
 15,100
 16,300
 18,000
 17,700
 17,400


 Fife
 39,300
 42,000
 43,300
 44,800
 43,300


 Glasgow City
 98,800*
 97,700*
 108,400*
 118,200*
 111,100*


 Highland
 33,600
 28,200
 34,400
 33,000
 34,600


 Inverclyde
 8,900*
 9,400*
 10,000*
 9,900
 9,900


 Midlothian
 6,700
 7,200
 8,500
 8,600
 9,100


 Moray
 9,700
 11,900
 11,600
 12,300
 13,100


 North Ayrshire
 11,400
 13,000
 13,300
 13,600
 13,000


 North Lanarkshire
 27,200
 29,400
 31,000
 31,600
 33,900


 Orkney Islands
 2,900
 3,200
 3,200
 2,800
 3,500


 Perthshire and Kinross
 18,200
 19,900
 20,800
 21,000
 20,200


 Renfrewshire
 21,300
 20,800
 22,100
 21,900
 22,700


 Scottish Borders
 14,400
 15,500
 14,200
 14,800
 17,000


 Shetland Islands
 3,500
 3,700
 3,600
 4,400
 5,100


 South Ayrshire
 13,000
 14,600
 13,600
 15,200
 14,200


 South Lanarkshire
 30,500
 33,400
 32,500
 30,600
 32,300


 Stirling
 13,100
 13,800
 13,600
 13,900
 13,200


 West Dunbartonshire
 9,300
 9,600
 10,600
 14,300
 13,700


 West Lothian
 14,200
 17,800
 18,300
 17,600
 19,800



  Source: Annual Business Inquiry.

  Notes:

  * These data exclude agriculture class 0100 (SIC 92) – Agriculture, hunting and related service activities.

  1. The 2003 ABI data for aggregate areas is based on 2003 Census Area Statistics (CAS) wards which differs from previous years ABI data which was build from 1991 census wards. This change in geographies may give rise to discontinuity, however at local authority level discontinuities are negligible.

  2. Annual Business Inquiry data are workplace based.

  3. Data has been rounded to the nearest hundred.

  Table 3 Change in Level of Full-time Employee Jobs by Local Authority Areas 1999-20031,2,3

  

 
 Change from 
1999-2000
 Change from 
2000-2001
 Change from 
2001-2002
 Change from 
2002-2003


 Aberdeen City
 +200
 +4,400
 -6,300
 -3,200


 Aberdeenshire
 +2,200
 +2,300
 -5,600
 +400


 Angus
 -1,900
 -2,300
 -1,000
 +300


 Argyll and Bute
 +2,200
 -900
 -1,200
 +2,300


 Clackmannanshire
 +800
 -100
 -700
 +100


 Dumfries and Galloway
 -1,700
 +2,700
 -4,000
 -1,000


 Dundee City
 +5,300
 -1,200
 -1,800
 +2,200


 East Ayrshire
 -1,100
 +1,100
 0
 +1,900


 East Dunbartonshire
 +1,400
 +100
 -1,900
 +200


 East Lothian
 -400
 +200
 +900
 -300


 East Renfrewshire
 +700
 +300
 0
 +100


 Edinburgh, City of
 +9,800
 +7,500
 +6,300
 0


 Eilean Siar
 -700
 0
 -700
 +1,300


 Falkirk
 +200
 +1,600
 -600
 +1,300


 Fife
 +1500
 +1,800
 -2,800
 -1,600


 Glasgow City
 +10,900
 +13,000
 -11,600
 +6,600


 Highland
 +1,500
 +7,900
 -100
 +1,800


 Inverclyde
 -900
 +1,000
 -1,700
 -100


 Midlothian
 -200
 +300
 +300
 +800


 Moray
 +400
 +400
 -100
 +500


 North Ayrshire
 +600
 +1,700
 -2,200
 -700


 North Lanarkshire
 -5,900
 +3,000
 +3,500
 -2,400


 Orkney Islands
 -400
 0
 -600
 +500


 Perthshire and Kinross
 -1,300
 -2,100
 +200
 -600


 Renfrewshire
 -1,900
 -1,700
 -5,400
 -200


 Scottish Borders
 -2,100
 +200
 +600
 -1,300


 Shetland Islands
 -900
 -100
 +200
 +600


 South Ayrshire
 -500
 +400
 -400
 -1,200


 South Lanarkshire
 +1,500
 +700
 -4,400
 +200


 Stirling
 0
 +1,600
 -1,100
 -2,100


 West Dunbartonshire
 -300
 -300
 0
 +200


 West Lothian
 +3,300
 +200
 +500
 +1,700



  Source: Annual Business Inquiry.

  Notes:

  1. The 2003 ABI data for aggregate areas is based on 2003 Census Area Statistics (CAS) wards which differs from previous years ABI data which was build from 1991 census wards. This change in geographies may give rise to discontinuity, however at local authority level discontinuities are negligible.

  2. Annual Business Inquiry data are workplace based.

  3. Data has been rounded to the nearest hundred.

  Table 4 Change in Level of Part-time Employee Jobs by Local Authority Areas 1999-20031,2,3

  

 
 Change from 1999-2000
 Change from 2000-2001
 Change from 2001-2002
 Change from 2002-2003


 Aberdeen City
 +3,600
 -6,600
 +1,700
 +4,200


 Aberdeenshire
 +3,700
 -500
 +1,600
 +3,400


 Angus
 +1,000
 +300
 +600
 +300


 Argyll and Bute
 +1,200
 +300
 +100
 -500


 Clackmannanshire
 +800
 +100
 -100
 -300


 Dumfries and Galloway
 +300
 +2,400
 -2,300
 -300


 Dundee City
 +2,900
 +2,700
 +400
 -200


 East Ayrshire
 +1,200
 -100
 +200
 +800


 East Dunbartonshire
 -400
 +1,600
 -700
 -600


 East Lothian
 +1,700
 -500
 +100
 -600


 East Renfrewshire
 +800
 +300
 +500
 0


 Edinburgh, City of
 +11,800
 -2000
 +5,200
 +2,700


 Eilean Siar
 +800
 -100
 -700
 +1,200


 Falkirk
 +1,100
 +1,800
 -400
 -300


 Fife
 +2,700
 +1,300
 +1,500
 -1,500


 Glasgow City
 -1,100
 +10,800
 +9,700
 -7,100


 Highland
 -5,400
 +6,200
 -1,400
 +1,600


 Inverclyde
 +500
 +600
 -100
 -100


 Midlothian
 +500
 +1,200
 +100
 +500


 Moray
 +2,200
 -300
 +700
 +800


 North Ayrshire
 +1,600
 +300
 +300
 -600


 North Lanarkshire
 +2,200
 +1,600
 +600
 +2,300


 Orkney Islands
 +400
 0
 -400
 +700


 Perthshire and Kinross
 +1,700
 +900
 +300
 -800


 Renfrewshire
 -600
 +1,300
 -200
 +800


 Scottish Borders
 +1,100
 -1,300
 +500
 +2,300


 Shetland Islands
 +200
 -200
 +800
 +700


 South Ayrshire
 +1,600
 -900
 +1,600
 -1,000


 South Lanarkshire
 +2,900
 -900
 -1,900
 +1,700


 Stirling
 +700
 -100
 +300
 -600


 West Dunbartonshire
 +200
 +1,000
 +3,700
 -600


 West Lothian
 +3,600
 +500
 -700
 +2,200



  Source: Annual Business Inquiry.

  Notes:

  1. The 2003 ABI data for aggregate areas is based on 2003 Census Area Statistics (CAS) wards which differs from previous years ABI data which was build from 1991 census wards. This change in geographies may give rise to discontinuity, however at local authority level discontinuities are negligible.

  2. Annual Business Inquiry data are workplace based.

  3. Data has been rounded to the nearest hundred.

Forestry Commission

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware that the Forestry Commission is relocating seven jobs from Ae in Dumfries and Galloway to Edinburgh and whether it considers that this move is contrary to the Executive’s relocation policy.

Rhona Brankin: The Forestry Commission has identified scope for increased efficiencies in its human resources division, by combining the roles of two units: the change management team and forestry training services, given the changing nature of learning and development. The business case points to savings and the benefits of closer integration with the rest of their HR colleagues who work in Edinburgh.

  Less than ten per cent of Forestry Commission Scotland staff are based in Edinburgh, and the headquarters and supporting office for Forest Enterprise Scotland are located in Inverness and Dumfries respectively. This relocation of staff from Ae to the Commission's Silvan House in Edinburgh is not against the policy of the Scottish Executive. The offices at Silvan House include employees who are providing central services like human resources, for staff in England, Wales and Scotland. This relocation ensures that jobs are kept in Scotland which could otherwise be located in other parts of Britain, whilst delivering savings which may provide for an increased ability of Forestry Commission Scotland to put more staff in the front line.

Individual Learning Accounts

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applicants for computer training funding it has budgeted for under the individual learning account (ILA) scheme in the next five years.

Nicol Stephen: Demand forecasting undertaken prior to ILA Scotland launch in December 2004 estimated a range of scenarios covering both the £200 and £100 offers. Given the nature of the target audience and the difficulties in encouraging participation in learning we will be reviewing these forecasts at the end of 2005 in light of actual uptake.

  Learners in the £200 offer are able to use their funding for computer training as well as a variety of other courses. The £100 offer, restricted solely to computer training, has only recently launched and forecasts will be reviewed to take account of early demand.

  Demand to date has seen just over 50% of courses undertaken being computer related.

Rail Network

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19182 by Tavish Scott on 21 September 2005, whether it will publish the comments which it sent to Dumfries and Galloway Council on the report into the introduction of a local passenger service on the West Coast Main Line and, if so, whether it will do so in response to this question and whether it intends to take any further action on the matter.

Tavish Scott: A copy of the Scottish Executive’s response to Dumfries and Galloway Council will be sent to the member separately and will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 37720).

Regulation of Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-19262 by Lewis Macdonald on 26 September 2005, whether all care homes should receive a gross fee equivalent to the full cost of providing the service on a level comparable with that of local authority-run care homes.

Lewis Macdonald: The level of fees for local authority homes is a matter for individual local authorities. The level of fees for publicly funded residents in independent care homes is a matter for negotiation between care home owners and local authorities. However, there is a nationally agreed benchmark figure that we would expect to be met.

Renewable Energy

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the achievement of its target of 40% of electricity generated in Scotland coming from renewable sources by 2020 will involve an increasing reliance on tidal and offshore sources and a decreasing reliance on land-based wind farms.

Nicol Stephen: We are committed to delivering our 40% renewables target from a wide range of renewable sources. While on-shore wind will play a significant role in progressing towards that target, we are working to ensure that other renewables technologies, including wave, tidal, biomass and offshore wind can make an increased contribution over time.

Scottish Executive Funding

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of what the 2007-08 allocation of £5 million, shown under the "Strengthening Communities" category in table 6.07 of its Draft Budget 2006-07, will be used for.

Nicol Stephen: The figures shown in budget documents relate to grant-in-aid and are provisional pending agreement between the Scottish Executive and Highlands and Islands Enterprise on operating plans. The operating plan for 2005-08 shows planned expenditure of gross income. Planned expenditure on Strengthening Communities in 2007-08 is £10.5 million (excluding operational staff).

  The specifics of how this planned expenditure will be allocated to activities is an operational matter for Highlands and Islands Enterprise. A copy of the current operating plan is available on their website at: www.hie.co.uk/hie-network-operating-plan.

Sport

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in relation to the findings of the independent review, Raising the Bar, which recommends the abolition of  sportscotland and the setting up of a UK sports foundation chaired by the UK Minister for Sport.

Patricia Ferguson: The independent review report, Raising the Bar, does not recommend the abolition of  sportscotland. Kate Hoey and Lord Moynihan, who jointly conducted this review, made clear in their letter to the editor of The Herald , published on 28 September 2005, that the report makes no such recommendation. They added that they recognise that sport is a devolved matter and in conducting their consultation were very impressed by the nature of the relationship between the Scottish Parliament and  sportscotland.  sportscotland is the lead body for sport in Scotland and there are no plans to change its status or responsibilities.

Sport

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what the role is of (a) it, (b) sportscotland and (c) the Scottish Institute for Sport in preparing Scottish athletes with Olympic potential for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Patricia Ferguson: The Executive provides Exchequer funding to  sportscotland who, using also Scotland’s share of the Lottery Sports Fund, deliver Scottish Ministers’ policy on developing sport in Scotland from grass roots to elite level.

  To develop and prepare Scottish athletes for success at the 2012 Olympic Games, sportscotland:

  
are working with all key partners to ensure there is a co-ordinated approach to increase participation levels, provide pathways for the development of our emerging talent and ensure success for Scottish athletes;
are completing the infrastructure that underpins sport in Scotland. This includes working with key partners to put in place the network of world class training and competition facilities under the National and Regional Sports Facilities Strategy;
are investing in governing bodies of sport performance plans focusing on the training and competition programmes and coaching for athletes;
are investing into the Institute network at the Scottish and area institute levels; and
are working with UK Sport to ensure Scottish athletes are given equal opportunity within the Olympic pathway.


  Using the funding from sportscotland’s Lottery Sports Fund, the Scottish Institute of Sport, along with its network of six area institutes, provides the expertise, knowledge, technology and resources to prepare our current and emerging international standard performers for major international competition.